


come and fly away with me (we can be anyone we wanna be)

by BornInTheDusk



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Episode AU: s04e05 Buck Begins, Episode: s04e05 Buck Begins, Evan "Buck" Buckley and Eddie Diaz Being Idiots, M/M, Protective Evan "Buck" Buckley, Protective Maddie Buckley, Spoilers for Episode: s04e05 Buck Begins, We Stan Two Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:15:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29678289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BornInTheDusk/pseuds/BornInTheDusk
Summary: "Alright, let's go." Maddie breathed.A concerned Omar betrays Maddie's trust and gets Buck to talk her into running away. Together, the two Buckleys forge a new path.It's tricky at first, but a few years into their new lives they move to Texas and things seem to start moving in a positive direction.Until things get complicated, because things could never be simple for the Buckleys.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 78





	come and fly away with me (we can be anyone we wanna be)

**Author's Note:**

> **Playlist:**
> 
> [Follow Your Fire](https://open.spotify.com/track/5ESJINHtOXLh3KSsazEfRf?si=nLVbIn67QoqPjMX-gX_1Ww) – Kodaline
> 
> **✩║ A/N ║✩**
> 
> hey uh, so buddie brain rot has me in a chokehold?

_"Where would we even go?"_

_"Doesn't matter, the point is to go."_

"Oh Evan, Evan!"

"Uh, Maddie's friend, right? Do you know where she is? I was supposed to pick her up here but I can't find her anywhere and she won't answer her phone."

"Yeah, uh, she left this for you." Omar handed a letter to Evan with a far-away look in his eyes.

Evan starts to walk away, reading the first few lines of the letter when Omar says sharply, "Evan, _wait_."

Evan looked up at Omar, slightly dazed by his sister's letter even if he hadn't read it all the way through.

"You should read it in the storeroom." Omar nodded in the direction of the room right next to the reception desk.

Evan barely processed the information but his feet took him towards the room on their own anyways.

"Maddie — what — what happened to your face?"

"Evan…" Maddie sat mouth agape at the sight of her brother. Her eyes start to water.

After a minute of shell-shocked silence, the gears in Evan's head begin to turn. His face hardens into a glare that makes Maddie flinch, "this was Doug."

It wasn't a question.

Evan had suspected for a while but this was the last piece of the puzzle.

He was going to _kill_ that motherfucker.

"Evan, please, you need to leave." Maddie begged.

"He did this because you want to leave him." Evan grit out.

" _No_ , this was because I gave you the jeep."

If this is what happened to Maddie for giving him the jeep Evan shuddered at the thought of what Doug would do to Maddie if she left.

No, not if.

She has to leave him.

Maddie has sacrificed so much for him, Evan had to protect her the same way she'd always protected him.

"Maddie, we're leaving now. I'm never letting him touch you again." Evan nodded once as he tried to think of a plan beyond _running_.

" _Evan_ , _look at me,_ " Maddie said as she gently grabbed his chin to turn his head towards her.

And Evan did look.

He saw the weight on his sister's shoulders. The burden of being trapped. The misery of being a caged bird, longing to fly.

He had to free her.

It's what she was doing for him.

"He'll kill you." Maddie said.

"He'll kill _you_."

Maddie closed her eyes in pain, blinking rapidly to keep the tears out of her eyes. Maddie _hated_ crying in front of Evan.

"Alright, let's go." Maddie breathed.

* * *

Maddie dumps her phone immediately and makes Evan do the same.

Omar's number is scribbled onto a strip of paper in her pocket but that's all she has.

Maddie had nothing with her.

No, she had Evan.

She'd _always_ have him.

They take turns driving for days, just trying to get as far away as possible before finally stopping at a motel.

"Alright, we should be far enough." Evan mumbles mainly to himself.

"We'll never be far enough," Maddie starts, her leg bouncing with anxiety, "he could show up here in a few hours. He just has to take a flight, he can afford it."

Evan turns to her, "Maddie, you can't live like that."

"I _have_ been living like this Evan."

Evan flinches from the pain that shoots through him. It makes no sense but he feels so guilty for not realising what Maddie had been going through.

"Maddie," Evan starts, kneeling before his sister as he places his hand on her knee, "I'm here now. No matter what it takes, I won't let him take you from me."

"Us against the world?" Maddie sniffles, chuckling.

"Yeah Mads, always."

Maddie's nose scrunches and she bites her lip as her eyes begin to water. As soon as Evan wraps his arms around his sister it's like a dam breaks.

It's the first time Maddie has allowed herself to _feel_ in years.

"I'll always be here for you Maddie, and I know you'd do the same." Evan hugs her a little tighter as he presses his lips to Maddie's hair.

It was yet another thing Maddie used to do for him.

* * *

After both getting some well-deserved sleep, the duo begins job-searching.

They needed more money to get further away. Fuel and food cost money. A lot of it.

Evan manages to get hired as a bartender — much to Maddie's disapproval. It takes a bit but Maddie eventually starts working at a café as a waitress.

From an ER nurse to a waitress. Evan could tell the major change had taken its toll on Maddie, who _loved_ her job.

Maddie loved helping people, feeling like she was making a difference.

Maddie saved lives, she always had.

* * *

"Hey, Evan." One of the bar's regulars nods to him as a signal for his usual.

"Hey, Finn! How's it going? Job still giving you hell?" Evan smirked as he handed the Asian man a glass of scotch.

"Ugh, don't even get me started. Some jerk has been making my life hell, I have half a mind to complain to HR."

"Why don't you?"

"Because then I'd be filing a complaint each day, there's always going to be racist assholes."

"Ah." Evan nodded before heading over to another customer.

His shift continues the same way for the next few hours, a mix of conversations and serving.

Evan takes a quick breather, downing a cold glass of water as he checks his phone — it's an old _Nokia_ and he's using a prepaid sim.

 _I think someone's following me_.

Panic shot through Evan, he dropped the glass he was holding and ran to the backroom, grabbing his jacket and yanking out the keys to the jeep.

Evan was sure he would have been pulled over for speeding if it hadn't been two in the morning.

Evan hopped out of the car, leaving the keys in and leaving the engine running.

He was about to run up to the motel room when he heard a woman cry out in pain.

 _Maddie_.

"Maddie!" Evan screamed as he ran to the side of the motel.

Fury engulfed Evan as he stumbled upon Doug standing over Maddie who was on the floor, bruised and beaten.

 _Again_.

Evan's brain stopped functioning, there were no more thoughts. He couldn't hear anything over the roar of his anger.

When he could process information again Buck was on the floor, staring down the barrel of a gun.

He must have gotten a few good hits in because his hand felt like it was broken and Doug's face was bloody.

Evan smirked, _good_ , he could die happy as long as Maddie was safe.

And she had to be, because Evan couldn't see her anywhere.

"You little shit." Doug swore as stared at Evan with a bone-deep hatred.

"Leave Evan the fuck alone." Evan heard someone growl as Doug crumpled to the floor.

Maddie stood there, with a shovel in her hand, high above her head.

 _Holy shit_.

"You knocked him out." Evan breathed.

Maddie's eyes filled with worry as she stared down at Evan, pulling him to his feet.

"We need to go, _now_."

Evan nodded numbly as he followed his sister.

* * *

Evan and Maddie end up on a ranch, working as farmhands.

It's the safest place for them right now, far _far_ away from civilization.

They both know they're safe, there's no way for Doug to track them.

But they're _miserable_.

The Buckley siblings were never made for casual existence. They both yearned for _more_.

They're there for a year, slowly growing more miserable each day.

Which is why it's no surprise when Maddie suggests the most absurd idea a year and a few months into their riveting lives as farmhands.

"You should leave."

"What?" Evan whips his head around in shock.

Maddie turns to him, "Evan, you're so young. You have your whole life ahead of you."

"So do you!" Evan insists.

"I'll be safe here, you can go to the city. You've always flourished around _people_."

"That's not true Maddie, I'm my best when I'm with _you_."

" _Evan_ , I want you to live."

"And I can't do that without _you_. It's you _and_ me against the world. I need you. There is no me without you. We're in this together Maddie."

Tears well up in Maddie's eyes, "alright. But we have to leave soon. You've put your life on hold for long enough."

* * *

They're discussing places for them to travel to when Evan brings it up.

"What about South America?"

"Why?" Maddie questions.

"Well, I've always wanted to go and we'd be safe in a foreign country. Plus it'd be fun! Like a vacation."

"A vacation where I'm running away from my abusive husband." Maddie raises an eyebrow.

"Well, now you're just being a Negative Nancy." Evan elbows Maddie who rolls her eyes at him.

"Fine, but don't make me regret this." Maddie smiles.

"Yay!" Evan cheered, throwing his arms around his sister.

Evan felt like just maybe things were beginning to move in the right direction.

* * *

The journey is a long one … obviously.

South America is beautiful, and it's certainly fun.

Evan and Maddie try to visit as many tourist locations as they can. Maddie looks like she finally feels free.

This is part of the reason Evan wanted her out of the country, he wanted her to decompress. To feel like she was living again.

But the fun doesn't last long.

Evan starts working and Maddie once again disapproves of his choice of work.

He is once again spending his days working at a bar, but this time because it's an early shift he gets to party after work.

Maddie is not happy with the new development of Evan staying out all night.

They spend a lot of their days screaming at each other.

"Evan! Come back here! You can't be out all night _again_!"

"What are you going to do? Ground me?" Evan snipes, slamming the door on his way out.

"Argh!" Evan fumes as he resists the urge to punch a wall.

"Are you alright?" Evan hears an accented voice ask.

Evan looks up to see … _sweet mother of Jesus_ , that is one beautiful man.

Evan gapes at the man who seems to find his lack of response worrying. _Oh_ , right.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just got into an argument with my sister." Evan explains.

"Well that's sad, family is the most important thing in the world. I hope you guys make up soon."

"Thanks, but uh, until then would you like a drink? It's on me." Evan says awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

The man's eyes twinkle as a smile makes its way onto his face, "how could I make a beautiful man like you pay for me? If you insist I must buy the next round."

Huh, so Evan might be bisexual. That makes sense considering some of the things he did in middle school.

* * *

Leaving South America is bittersweet, for one thing, Evan is going to miss the place that taught him many things about himself. But Maddie's happy to go so Evan is too.

Evan receives a kiss on the cheek from Francis before he and Maddie leave.

Which is awkward for many reasons but mostly for the fact that he never officially came out to Maddie.

Maddie doesn't mention it so neither does Evan. It's reassuring that his sister doesn't make a big deal out of it.

Evan just hopes she keeps that attitude when he tells her that he's planning to enlist in the Navy.

* * *

Maddie does not in fact keep the no-big-deal attitude.

In fact, she makes a very big deal out of him enlisting.

Evan gets why it's upsetting for her, but he needs to figure out what his _thing_ is.

The thing that makes him _happy_ , the thing that makes him feel _whole_ , the thing that makes him feel like a _person_.

There's three other Evan's in his class so people take to calling him Buck.

It has a nice ring to it.

And it feels like _his_.

* * *

The Navy doesn't work out because Buck is too _emotional_. He doesn't know how to shut off his feelings.

It's for the best Buck thinks, he needs a job he can put his heart into.

Like Maddie with nursing.

* * *

Buck's not sure how but eventually the idea of moving to Texas comes up and Maddie is actually excited by something for once.

* * *

Texas is hot and sweaty. Maddie says it's _humidity_.

All Buck knows is that it's gross.

* * *

It's only when they get to Texas that Buck realizes _why_ Maddie was excited.

She got a job.

As a customer service representative.

It's a job she can do from the safety of an office.

Buck gets it but the last time Maddie had a job she was nearly killed.

"You can't be serious." Buck gapes at Maddie.

Maddie narrows her eyes at Buck, "and why is that Mr Bartender."

"That's _different_. I wasn't the one who nearly died."

Maddie's eyes shutter as she blinks the wetness out of her eyes.

"But you were."

"Mads —"

"He nearly killed you and I've been beating myself up about it ever since, I haven't felt right since that happened. At least until our trip. I realised I can't let _him_ stop me from living."

"Yeah, alright." Buck sighs, feeling defeated despite understanding Maddie's position.

* * *

Maddie and Buck are walking through the town after lunch when they bump into a woman attempting to juggle far too much, it sends her groceries flying to the floor.

It's a testament to how tired this woman is that she just stares at the items with a broken look.

And then her toddler starts crying.

Buck rushes to start picking up her things while Maddie helps her with her kid.

The woman looks so close to having a breakdown that she doesn't even comment on a stranger taking her baby from her.

"Here you go," Buck nods as he holds out the bag of her stuff, at Maddie's glare Buck amends, "what I meant is that I can help you carry this stuff back to your car."

"Thank you so much." The brunette runs a hand through her already extremely frazzled hair.

Maddie finally gets the toddler to calm down, which does not go unnoticed by his mother.

"God, you two are so kind. I'm just having a _really_ bad day." She sighs. From her tone, it sounds like she's been having a few bad _years_ , not days.

"It's no problem, _really_." Maddie smiles warmly.

"Yeah, besides my sister here raised me to be chivalrous so this is _nothing_."

That gets a laugh out of the presumably single mother.

"That explains why you're so good with this one." Shannon directs at Maddie.

"Well, that and I used to be a nurse. I know how to look after kids."

"My name's Shannon and this little boy here is Christopher."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Christopher, I'm Buck and this is Maddie. Oh and hello to you too Shannon." Buck jokes as he waves at the little man.

"Thank you." Shannon says yet again before she goes.

* * *

One day, after Maddie gets back from work, Buck brings up something he never thought he'd want.

"Maddie … I think I want to get my degree."

Maddie smiles slyly before taking brochures for community colleges out of her bag.

"How did you know?"

"I didn't but I was hoping. I really want you to get the best out of life and a degree would really help."

"Thanks, Maddie."

* * *

When Buck runs into Shannon again she is once again struggling.

Except this time she's struggling in a suit.

"Shannon?" Buck calls out as he sees the young mother.

Shannon looks up and for a second it's like she doesn't see him, "oh Buck!"

How tired was this woman? Buck barely knew her and he was _worried_.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just … I just have an interview soon but I couldn't drop Christopher off at my in-laws because they had yet another thing to lecture me about."

"I can watch him for you, there's a Starbucks right over there." Buck offers.

"Oh, thank you so much," Shannon says looking close to crying at Buck's basic humanity, "I can give you $12."

"What? No way, I'm doing this for free." Buck insists.

"Please, I really can't let you do this for free."

At that Buck laments because Shannon seems like a really stubborn woman and this did not seem like a fight he'd win.

The experience somehow ends with Buck becoming Shannon's go-to babysitter.

* * *

Maddie comes home from work one day looking absolutely shell-shocked.

Buck doesn't even have to ask her what happened because she spits it out as soon as she sees him.

"I saved a woman's life today."

"What? Maddie, are you okay?" Buck runs over to look over his sister for any injuries.

"Yeah, no, it was on the phone."

" _What_?"

"Some woman called to complain about how terrible the service was and then she just collapsed while I was on the phone with her. I called 9-1-1, apparently, she'd had a heart attack."

Evan doesn't reply because it seems like Maddie has more to say.

_"Evan, I think I want to be an emergency dispatcher."_

* * *

Buck loved how happy Maddie was with her new job.

But he also felt jealous.

Maddie had found her thing, Buck had yet to find his.

Buck just wanted to find his place in the world.

His misery and envy must have been distracting him because Buck hadn't heard Shannon unlocking the door, just the sound of it swinging open.

Except...it wasn't Shannon.

The door opens and a well-built and exhausted looking bronze-skinned man walks into the house. His curls are covering half of his face as if he hasn't had a hair cut in months … or washed it.

"Who are you?" The man demands, looking annoyed at the sight of Buck.

Well, this would be fun.

  
  


**_TBC._ **

**Author's Note:**

> **Additional Warnings:**
> 
> Domestic Abuse Mentions
> 
> **Copyright:**
> 
> 9-1-1 © FOX
> 
> **✩║ A/N ║✩**
> 
> *smile* :)
> 
> -ˏˋ check out my tumblr for updates ˊˎ-
> 
> This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> Absolutely no critique please, I am always working on bettering myself but have crippling depression and anxiety.
> 
> This author sees and appreciates all comments, but may not reply to all.
> 
> Note: If you don’t want a reply, for any reason (social anxiety be like that sometimes fam), feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!


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